Car coupler consturction



' Oct 3L i933. AJJ, BAZELEY 1,932,440

can COUPLER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 6, 1952 v 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- ATTORN Y- Oct. 31, 1933 BAZELEY 1,932,440

CAR COUPLER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 6. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 g/j/lllllll was??? Patented Oct. 31, 1933 1,932,440

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR COUPLER CONSTRUCTION Arthur J. Bazeley, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 6, 1932. Serial No. 603,545

15 Claims. (Cl. 213-442) This invention relates to car couplers, and more ment with an improved knuckle according to the particularly to improvements in American Railinvention. way Association standard couplers. In my Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical, sectional views taken, pending application Serial No. 381,180, filed July respectively, on lines 66 and 7-7 of Fig. 5. 26, 1929, there is described a coupler construction Fig. 8 is a longitudinal, vertical section through 60 which embodies improvements over the prior 2. bottom operated coupler embodying the invenstandard D-coupler, and which is now known in tion, showing the lock in locked position and the the art as the American Railway Association E- lock lifter mechanism operated a slight distance coupler. One of the features of the E-coupler from normal position preparatory to lifting the is the construction through which the lock enlock. e5 gages the knuckle and it has been my object to Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but partly provide for the desired cooperation not only bebroken away and illustrating a rotary operated tween the improved knuckle and lock of the coupler. I E-coupler, but also to enable the D-knuckle to Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illusbe employed in combination with the E-lock and trating an E-lock in engagement with a 70 other parts of the E-coupler, as well as for em- D-knuckle. ployment of the E-knuckle in combination with Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line 11-11 of the lock and other parts of the D-coupler or, in Fig. 10. 1 short, to make the D and E-knuckles interchange- Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 of the drawable in either type of coupler. This is important ings, there is shown a coupler head A, lock-lifter 75 because, although the E-coupler has been ado'pt- C, lock Lo, and knuckle thrower T, all well known ed as standard for the future, D-couplers will be and employed in the standard D-coupler. The in existence for many years. Therefore, if the knuckle Kr: is the same as that disclosed in my knuckles of the D and E couplers were not interpreviously mentioned copending application exchangeable, the railroads would find it necessary cept as hereinafter noted. The lock Ln has a so to keep two different types of knuckles in stock leg 2 and is supported, in knuckle-locking so long as the D-couplers remained in existence. position, on projection 4 g of the knuckle tail Since the knuckle is the important replacement 5, the under side 4' of the head ofv the lock part of couplers, it is very desirable to make this enga ing e op of seld'pmlectlon 4. The part interchangeable. I have found that when ter of gravity of the lock is located rearward of an E-knuckle as shown in said application is the portion thereof in engagement with said proplaced in a D-head there is a tendency, with botjection 4 as a consequence of which the forward tom and rotary lock operating mechanisms, for edge of the lower end of. the lock leg 2 engages the anti-creep device to interfere with the dethe built-out portion 3 of the coupler head as 35 sired unlocking action of the parts, and by my shown in Fig. 8. The lifter member C of the present invention I have provided a construction Sta d rd bottom-Operated uncoupling mediawhich avoids this disadvantage and at the same nism is p ov with a p 6 engaging in t e time enables the E-knuckle to be employed in an usual slot '1 in the lock leg 2 as is well known in improved manner in the standard D-he d i the art. It has been found that when the knuckle 0 lieu of the standard D-knuckle. Other objects shown in my aforesa d app c o s p oyed and advantages will be in part apparent and in in a standard D-couple having a bottom 1' ropart pointed out in connection with the followtary Op lock, the raising of the c 0 ing description of a preferred embodiment of l kposition i q n y p v n d, and the invention. I this I find to be caused by the elements pro- 45 I th accompanying drawings: vided for obviating creeping of the lock. In this Fig. 1 is a plan view of an improved coupler connection, as is well understood, the head of knuckle in accordance with the invention, showt e a d p e includes a P ojection 9, ing a D-lock in engagement therewith. which lies in the path of a lug 8 on lifter member Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the knuckle shown C of th un up mechanism w d 50 i i 1, ber Cis in its normal position. When the knuckle Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged, vertical sections on Of my application above referred 150 is e p y the lines 3-3 and 4'4, respectively, of Fig. 1, in a D-coupler, the lock thereof is supported on parts of the construction being broken away. the projection aforesaid of the knuckle tail, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, but partly upon operation of the member C for raising the 55 broken away and wi an E-10ck in engagelock it was found that the lug 8 was apt to cm gage the projection 9, frequently blocking further operation of said member C and preventing the latter from lifting the lock. I have found that this difliculty may be eliminated in a simple but highly effective manner whereby the knuckle aforesaid may be employed in a D-coupler without interference with the bottom or rotary operated uncoupling mechanism. To this end I cut away part of the upper portion of the lug 4, to provide the surface shown at 10, with the result that the lock is supported from said lug in a lowered position; the slot 7 being thereby so located with respect to the projection 9 that during upward movement of the member C said slot cooperates with the pin 5 to shift the lug 8. clear of said projection. Thus, as shown in Fig. 8, the lifter member C has been raised from normal position; and the slot 7, in cooperation with pin 6, has moved the lug 8 out of the path of projection 9.

The surface 10, formed by cutting away part of the lug 4, is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, and preferably slopes downwardly toward the front of the knuckle. This construction ,of the surface 10 aids in urging the look as a whole forwardly when the same is in locked position, thus tending to maintain the anti-creep projection 8 in operative relation to the lug 9 as long as the element C is in its normal unoperated position. Owing to the narrow forward end of the D-lock, as shown in Fig. 1. this lock does not rest on surface 11 hereafter described.

At opposite ends of the surface 10 are portions 11 and 12 of the lug 4. When the knuckle K1: is employed in an E-coupler, as shown .in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, the lock LE thereof is supported in locked position through the engagement of its upper lateral projection 16 with the surface 15 of said knuckle. At the same time the head 17 of said E-coupler lock takes a bearing upon the above-mentioned surfaces 11 and 12 of the knuckle projection 4. It maybe noted that the aforesaid lower supporting surface or shoulder of the lock of the E-coupler, as shown at 18, Fig. 5, as compared with Fig. 1, extends a greater distance transversely of the lock than does the corresponding surface 4' on the lock of the D- coupler, wherefore said surface of the E-coupler lock is enabled to bear upon the knuckle tail surfaces 11 and. 12.. As best shown in Fig. 6, the surfaces 11 and 12, andthe respective cooperating wider surfaces 18 and 19 on the E-lock may slope downwardly away from the knuckle tail as illustrated in this view. The knuckle tail surface 10 also slopes downwardly away from the knuckle (see Figs. 2-4) as does the cooperating surface 4' of the D-lock. Ashas been above noted, the surface 12, as shown in Fig. 6, is engaged by the E-lock when the latter is mounted on the knuckle tail, and it will likewise be apparent from Fig. 3 that said surface 12 is engaged by and assists in supporting the D-lock when the latter is mounted on said knuckle tail.

It may be noted that the present construction not only obviates in a particularly effective manner the difficulty hereinbefore mentioned inconnection with the cooperation betwen the D-lock and the E-knuckle, but also avoids the necesssity of tampering with. other parts of the construction which are desirable for the proper operation of the coupler. For instance, the supporting under face of the lock, which cooperates with surfaces 13 and 14 on the knuckle tail for tripping of the lock from lock-set and holding it in a position from which it can readily drop to locked position as the knuckle is closed, is not modified; and this action of the device is not interfered with. Moreover, the functioning of the improved knuckle in the E-coupler is not impaired, for, as above noted, the E-lock may -be supported on said knuckle through surfaces 11, 12 and 15 with the same results and advantages as are obtained by the supporting of the E-lock on the knuckle shown in my pending application hereinbefore referred to. When supported on said surfaces 11, 12 and 15, the lock of the E-coupler assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 of said pending application, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 herein.

In Fig. 9 there is shown a standard rotary operated D-coupler construction. The elements A, K, L and T in this view are the same as those shown in Fig. 8, and the knuckle includes the novel features above described. I have found thatthe same problem is involved in couplers of this character, which have a lock lifter C including an anti-creep projection 8, and that the problem may be solved in the same fashion as above explained; the knuckle supporting lock, through the cut-away portion of the lug 4, so that as the lifter C moves upwardly the projection 8' is shifted out of the path of the anticreep lug 9.

Means for operating the lifter member C or C, to effect raising of the lock and consequent uncoupling is well known in the art and need not be here described.

As best shown in Figs. 10 and 11, when the E-lock LE is employed in combination with a D- knuckle Kn, the p ojection 16 on the lock is adapted, in locked position, to seat on the surface 15 of the D knuckle, the desired engagement between the knuckle and lock being thus provided for. At the same time, the portion 17 on the E-lock does not interfere with the proper operation of the E-lock when employed with a D-knuckle. As pointed out above, the Erknuckle is capable of cooperating both with the D-coupier and lock and with the E-coupler and look so that, in short, the construction of the cooperating supporting surfaces between the lock and the knuckle tail produces the result that either type of knuckle may be interchangeably used in either type of coupler. It will thus be appreciated that through the provision of the knuckle having upper and lower lock-supporting surfaces complemental, respectively, to upper and lower surfaces provided on the lock shown as above and below the locking face of the lock, the improved knuckle is adapted to support either the improved lock or the D-type lock, while on the other hand, the improved lock is adapted to be supported on either the improved knuckle or the D-type knuckle. This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 381,180 hereinbefore mentioned.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown or described, but recognize that-various modifications are possible within the scope'of the invention claimed. I claim:

1. In a car coupler, a lock having a leg, means engaging said leg for raising the lock tounlocked.

position, anti-creep means forward of said lock cooperating with the first mentioned means, and a knuckle having a tail comprising a portion for supporting said lock when in completely locked position in such relation to said anti-creep means as to permit free unlocking of the look upon operation of the first mentioned means, said lock supporting portion having a forwardly and downwardly sloping surface for urging'said lock forwardly toward said anti-creep means.

2. In a car coupler, a lock having a downwardly extending leg with a slot therein, means comprising an element having a pin cooperating with said slot for raising the lock to unlocked position, means comprising a projection on said element adapted to engage a projection on the coupler head for preventing creeping of the lock, and a knuckle having a tail comprising a portion having a forwardly and downwardly sloping surface for supporting said lock in completely locked position in such relation to said projection on the coupler head as to enable the projection on said element to engage said coupler head projection to prevent creeping of said lock, said parts being so proportioned and arrangedas to permit the projection of said element to freely pass said projection on said coupler head during operation of said element for raising .the lock. v

3. In a car coupler; a lock having a depending leg, a head having a built-outportion against which the forward edge of said leg is adapted to abut, means comprising an element adapted to engage said leg to operate the lock, anti-creep means including a projection on said element, a knuckle comprising an extension having a forwardly and downwardly sloping surface for supporting the lock in completely locked position in such relation to said anti-creep means as to insure effectiveness of the latter, said parts being so proportioned and arranged as to enable said ele ment to be operated to raise the lock to unlocked position without hindrance from said anti-creep means.

4. A car coupler knuckle having a tail witha vertical lock-engaging face and lock-supporting means thereon lying substantially horizontally below said face, said lock-supporting means having a portion cut away for engagement by a surface of the lock for supporting said lock in lowered position in said coupler, said cut away portion sloping downwardly toward the front of the coupler.

5. A car coupler knuckle having a tail with a vertical lock-engaging face and lock-supporting means thereon lying substantially horizontally below said face, said lock-supporting means having a portion cut away for engagement by a surface of the lock for supporting said lock in lowered position in said coupler, said cut-away portion sloping downwardly and laterally away from the knuckle.

6. In a car coupler, a knuckle having upper and lower supporting portions adapted for interchangeably supporting different locks in completely locked position, the upper portion being engageable by one type of lock having a supporting shoulder complemental to said upper portion and located above the locking face of said lock, and the lower portion being engageable by another type of lock having a supporting portion complemental to said lower surface and positioned below the locking face of the lock, said lower portion being also adapted to support the first mentioned lock when engaged thereby.

7. In a car coupler, a lock having a plurality of supporting surfaces enabling said lock to be supported by either of a plurality of difierent types of knuckles in looking relation thereto, one of said surfaces being above and the other below the locking face of the lock,'the upper one of said surfaces being adapted to engage an upper supporting surface on the tail of either of two different types of knuckles, and complemental to said upper surface, 'and the lower one of said surfaces being adapted to engage a lower supporting surface on the tail of one of said knuckles and complemental to said lower surface.

8. A car coupler knuckle having a tail terminating in a vertical lock engaging face, lock supporting means projecting from said tail below said face, said lock supporting means having a lock supporting surface comprising forward and rearward surfaces and an intermediate surface, said forward and rearward surfaces being so arranged that when engaged by a lock having one type of engaging surface they support said lock in locked position and said intermediate and said face, said lock supporting means having aa lock supporting surface comprising forward and rearward surfaces and an intermediate surface, said forward and rearward surfaces being so arranged that when engaged by a lock having one type of engaging surface they support said lock in locked position and said intermediate and rearwardsurface being so arranged that when engaged by a lock having another type of engaging surface they support the last-mentioned lock in locked position, said intermediate surface being cut away relative to said other surfaces.

10. A car coupler knuckle having a tail terminating in a vertical lock engaging face, lock supporting means projecting from said tail below said face, said lock supporting means having a 'lock supporting surface comprising forward and ing surface they support the last-mentioned lock in locked position, said intermediate surface being cut away relative to said other surfaces and being inclined forwardly.

11. A car coupler knuckle having a tail and lock supporting means thereon, said lock supporting means having a plurality of lock supporting surfaces adapted to support locks having different types of engaging surfaces, at least one of said lock supporting surfaces being adapted to function with all of said types of locks.

12. In a car coupler, a lock having a downwardly extending leg with a slot therein, means comprising an element having a pin cooperating with said slot for raising the lock to unlocked position, means comprising a projection on said element adapted to engage a projection on the coupler head for preventing creeping of the lock, and a knuckle having lock supporting means thereon comprising forward and rear surfaces and an intermediate surface, said intermediate and rear surfaces being so arranged that when engaged by a lock having one type of engaging surface they support said lock in completely locked position in such relation to said projection on the coupler head as to enable the projection on said element to pass freely by said coupler head projection during operation of said element for raising the lock, said forward and rear surfaces being adapted for: engagement by another look for supporting the latter at a different elevation with respect to the knuckle than that in which the first mentioned lock is supported.

tion with respect to the knuckle than that in which the first mentioned look is supported.

14. In a car coupler, a knuckle having upper and lower supporting surfaces for supporting knuckle locking means in completely locked position, the upper surface being engageable by a lock having a supporting shoulder complemental to said upper surface and located above the looking face of the lock, and the lower surface being engageable by a lock having a supporting shoulder complemental to said lower surface .and positioned below the locking face of the lock.

15. In a car coupler, a lock having a plurality of supporting shoulders, one above and the other below the locking face of said lock, the upper one of said shoulders being adapted when the lock is in knuckle locking position to engage an upper supporting surface on a knuckle tail and complemental to said upper shoulder, and the lower one of said'shoulders being adapted when the lock is in knuckle locking position to engage a. lower supporting surface on a knuckle tail and complemental to said lower shoulder.

ARTHUR J. BAZELEY. 

